Another way to use up a bag of pretzels is to throw them on top of brownies along with peanut butter frosting. There’s also the homemade caramel, rainbow sprinkle, mini chocolate chip, and crushed Heath bar route which is where I’m taking you today!!

Loaded Caramel Dipped Pretzels are Easy

This seriously fool-proof recipe is king of the sweet/salty snack food category. Gooey homemade caramel enveloping a super salty, crunchy pretzel rod, and garnished with whatever tiny topping your little heart desires. These loaded caramel dipped pretzels couldn’t be easier and are fun to decorate, especially if you want to get the kids involved in the kitchen. They’ll love coating the pretzels with their favorite goodies like M&Ms, chocolate chips, sprinkles, toffee pieces, and more. Plus, kids love food on sticks! It’s the perfect sweet snack.

And don’t they kind of look gourmet? Wrap them, box them up, and gift them during the holidays. They look so cute displayed in mason jars at parties. They’re also a fun (and quick!) treat for a bake sale and I guarantee they’d be the first to go.

How to Make Salted Caramel

Caramel dipped pretzels uses my reader-favorite homemade caramel, a 4 ingredient and 10 minute recipe loved by millions all over the world. It’s the most popular recipe on this website!

There’s no candy thermometer required; simply use your eyes to determine when to add the next ingredient. The caramel itself doesn’t take long to make, only a short 10 minutes. However, you’ll want to to cool down for at least 20 minutes before dunking the pretzels. The caramel thickens as it cools.

Update: These loaded caramel pretzels are part of my 8 recipe video mini series called Sprinkled. Watch me make them!

Ingredients:

Directions:

Make the salted caramel and allow it to thicken and cool for 20 minutes.

While cooling, get your toppings ready. Place each into separate bowls.

Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.

Once caramel has cooled, hold each pretzel rod by one end and dip the pretzel into the caramel, swirling it around to get it coated well. Shake of any excess caramel. Immediately sprinkle toppings onto pretzel, twirling the pretzel to get all sides covered. Do this over a plate to catch any extras.

Place pretzels onto prepared baking sheet to allow the caramel to set, about 15 minutes. I rotated them every 2 minutes so they didn't end up with a completely flat side.

In hot months, store pretzels in the refrigerator. I find they are pretty tasty served cold!

Recipe Notes:

Avoid rolling the caramel pretzels into the toppings. The warm caramel will melt the toppings and create a huge mess. Instead, sprinkle the toppings on the pretzels as shown in the video.